P&G' multi-brand makeover ad 'quadruples purchase intent'

P&G are launching an innovative new approach to TV advertising this June. The ‘Max Factor MakeoverBreak’ will  three 90 second advertisements shown over consecutive commercial breaks, which see a consumer made over by experts using a range of P&G Beauty & Grooming products. Throughout the series of adverts, experts share tipsfrom how to select the right hair colour to applying moisturiser properly.

In US trials the format was found to quadruple “intent to purchase” versus traditional advertising spots. Pretty impressive. Interesting points on this approach:

- Impact and engagement: the Max Factor Makeover is really clever use of media, in a world where our attention spans are getting shorter. The long time-length and the use of 3 consecutive ads in 3 breaks should keep viewers watching, and create stand-out

- Accessible aspiration: each break features an ‘everyday heroine’, who entered a competition to star in the campaign earlier this year. Roisin Donnelly, P&G’s UK Director of Marketing, comments: 'The star is agenuine consumer, which engages women of all ages. It’s almost like an intimate documentary'.

- Tapping into cultural codes: the campaign cleverly taps into the current obsession with make-overs, both in magazines like Hello! and on TV programmes.

- Portfolio leverage: the thing I like most about this approach is the way it makes the most of the brand portfolio P&G have built up, using products from Max Factor, Olay, Aussie and Clairol.

Hat's off to Roisin, who was my first ever boss back at P&G in the Victorian age, when I was brand assistant on Vidal Sassoon!

Comments

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Born in Listowel, Ontario, in 1927, Mr. Smale joined P&G in 1952 working first on Gleem toothpaste. But he'd had a brief career prior to joining the company, working three years as a salesman for Vick Chemical Co., whose successor he eventually would bring into P&G via acquisition decades later.

[Poigoreve]

I don't know If I said it already but ...I'm so glad I found this site...Keep up the good work I read a lot of blogs on a daily basis and for the most part, people lack substance but, I just wanted to make a quick comment to say GREAT blog. Thanks, :)

A definite great read..

[Rob Hallums]

Having just seen the advert, it is refreshing that someone is finally taking the approach of education (and not being a public service ad, or an attempt at education with Jamie Oliver!!)

It's just a bit of a shame that mobile marketing was left off the agenda. Ah well, I was still impressed and I only accidentally saw it. I havent checked out the online elements as the site was down when I checked.

Best of all though was the timeliness, relevance and positioning of it. I hope businesses take this into account (large and small) and consider how using these really quite simple techniques could be significantly cost effective - and it really doesn't have to be on tele.

[David Taylor (brandgym)]

Asit, Thanks for your comment on P&G which is spot on. Like you say, its the breadth of excellence is all areas that is indeed awesome.

David

[asit]

Another example of how P&G keeps learning, trying and innovating. What really makes them stand out vs somebody like Unilever is that they fire on all fronts- first on outsourcing R&D with connect & develop, first company to have global design head and embrace the power of design, led shopper marketing with Walmart in US, early adopter of social media and even earlier adopter of net with experiments like reflect.com in 1995, amongst the first to have the new agency remuneration model, first to move to regional/above market approach to brand management, amongst the first to leverage the multiple brands within the same catgeory ( eg Tide with Lenor/Febreze)....the list is impressive. Unilever is arguably superior in having really strong BIG IDEA communication campaigns- axe, dove, persil-to name a few. But they don't fire as well on other fronts.

[David Taylor (brandgym)]

Fair point Richard. My take is that
i) the cost of this is spread across the several brands participating
ii) perhaps there is a discount from the TV company, given the PR it will generate

David

[richard]

How many companies can afford to run 3 x 90' TV spots these days?